Ladder



(No Model.)

J. SCHADEr LADDER.

No. 523,011. Patented July 17, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS SCHADE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,011, dated July1'7, 1894.

Applicatll filed September 23, 1893. Serial No. 486,283. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ULIUs SCHADE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLadders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ladders, and has for its object to providesimple and eifective means for projecting ladders upwardly to aconsiderable height, and wherein is employed a lleXible link ladder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective View of mechanism, embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal section of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the base, upon whichis mounted a pair of uprights 2, adjacent to one end thereof and in therear part of the said upright is mounted a feed-wheel 3. In advance ofthe said feed-wheel 3 is a sprocket or analogous Wheel 4c, having aprojecting shaft 5 with an operating crank handle 6. Secured to theouter sides of the uprights 2 and projecting above the upper terminatingedges of the latter are a pair of inclined posts 7, which support arigid guide 8, with inturned edges 9. In connection with the mechanismthus far described, a flexible ladder 10 is employed, which is composedof a series of pivotally connected links 11, with rounds 12. Theuprights 2 are preferably such a distance apart as to easily accommodatethe width of the ladder which passes under the roller 3, when fedupwardly by the sprocket or other Wheel 4, through the guide 8, to anysuitable distance, which may be desired above the same. It will be seenthat the links of the ladder are so connected and arranged that theywill fold inwardly, but when Opened, and a pressure is brought to bearin the opposite direction, the ladder will be sustained in rigid form atau angle of inclination toward the structure or elevation to which it isto be raised.

The ladder and its mechanism herein set forth, is particularly adaptedfor use `in case of fires and may be unrolled from a suitable supportingdevice, and has at its upper end a pair of hooks which are adapted t0grip upon a projection for the .purpose of attachment. This will serveas a simple means of allowing persons to escape from a burning buildingwith ease, and comfort and it will also be seen that the use of theflexible ladder provides for applying a lire escape at any part or pointof the building without requiring the person desiring to escape totravel any distance.

The device as a Whole is simple and elfective in its construction andoperation, and many advantages can be derived from the use of the same,either for or independent of the purpose stated.

Having thus described the invention, what yis claimed as new is- Thecombination with a flexible ladder, of inclined guides which areoppositely situated and have front and back lianges, a sprocket wheelbelow and in rear of the said guides engaging the rounds of the ladder,and adapted to be revolved to feed the ladder up through the guide, anda roller in front of the guide and below the same which presses upon theladder and feeds the same in a horizontal plane thereunder, the saidroller being mounted at a distance above the base or support slightlygreater than the thickness of the said pieces of the ladder,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib ing witnesses.

J ULIUS SCHADE. Witnesses:

L. MAYER, C. JAcoBY.

